The Dickinson press., 1887-04-23
ON THE CORAL KEYS.
ODD CUSTOMS OF PEOPLE IN THE
GULF OF MEXICO.

GULF OF MEXICO.
Types of Men that Live in Mutual Hate.
Business Habits of the Residents of
Flat as II Pancake.
Perhaps there is no place i'll the United
States so much talked about i'll New York
and so little kicwn as Key West. 1t is
generally aSso lated with cigars. 1t is tho
largest of Il series "f coral islands, called keys
which dottha o can ut the so,!:he.u nj of tho
peninsula of Florida. 1t is entirely away
from the mainland, which is only to ho
rcnche,. :, steamer. Eu' OF this coral rcei is
a city ,,;l' ii in. 310'a inhabitants, consist
in.; OF tJ.r'', E,:':''!s and negroes, with
q .cy NH!r'i 'a;s. Perhaps III" island l::ii Il
bri. ~ i; 49, oo H. for I, i,;t, i Eo l,.ait
and '.,,:,:'lr. NJ i,~o:l.l' c!,,s liz
the ';,r,. !'na !n a!!., ;',.s. this coral
ke:: ':i' ii TIC i,if. 1t is the
mcs .,%'.. =. ia f'h' t'"i'm-in fact, tho
We. O., -" O. Ct: :, ;ty;,. ii.e city
is y"aH il Tic rl.:n:, where neither
sn ..,:. ... h::i over 'nv:l s"vn: tho tenn
pc!;j..e ;.i.,'i:i - 50 degree. in the day
an :e.at &, at might; Communication is
kti,' "" ""''h II t,t' ~, Of ,,,e w"l,,l 10y i,na,s
oi /. So f.';.:.,'.s from ,,,',. York. another
from Nr'. ',.: ,f,s, and Il n,;,i II amer two
or l.r,c times "vrl 10y Why of T.sups,
Fla By TN l,~t We get Ncw York papers
about ,b,r. , uli.
...Ar A.; y rANCAKE.
'rhri,lrl is ;,i il,t rs I, lrncaie; the high
est laini 10 ,ii4 only tv I've feet above tho
level "f thrsta One wotDi lhni that during
n storm, ~ -, would .ol ovcrthr island and
dr"w., oo; i,.or lile Key Mos.. Tho city
pepper is ,i.u.,'y populated, hui is as unlike
an american city rs possible. All the houses
are made of wood and built quite plainly
There is no show OF orlauien:atiun or dcror,-
ton, to say nothing of what is called urch-
lecture Once in II wiki. you may detect
something that looks !il;, lattice work. hut it
is p|ain and is not intended To display any
thing. Mrny of the stores have no signs upon
or about them, and the storckcels:, lool; us if
they did not care whether thcy sold anything
or not. There are no hotels, and those who
desire n temporary residence lave tn hunt
about for n boarding hous"
| When it il found. the bonr,lcrs would con-
silcr New York boarding house, ,lcl'i,lr,l as
it 81 often is, n palace in accommodation for
ca:in:, and stepping compared to one in Key
| West. The streets are wide and dusty, for
| there ale sprinklerS. In fact, water is
such n luxury in The dry season hat ii c;nnot
l,e wasted in slrinkling tne streets. 1t i, rain
water caught in risi rms wien the heavens
furnish supply, and is often carried from
place to place in pals supported 10y Il yoke
| from the shoulders An attempt was one
| time made to drive ;ln ait..siun we'll; hut the
water ,vlien reached was !,raciish that it
could only be used for the extinguishing of
fires. The dust flies continually. The road
way is hard, being the solid coral rock itself
There is no surface soil. What passes for soil
is nothing more than this rock ground up. 1t
Is n nice thing to have blown over new black
clothing, and still nicer thing to get out of
the cloth afterward. AS before stated, the
population consists mainly of Cubans Conclls
and negroes. Tho Conclls are in reality na-
tivcs of the Bahama islands, but everybody
In Key West calls thom by that name.
A SOCIETY OF lIATERs.
The Cubans dislike the Conchs and tho
Conclls letest the Cubans while both together
hate the negroes. A happy state of society
may therefore be imagined. They are as dis
tiDct us can be, but their localities are known
as Conchtown, Niggertown and Cuban vii
| lnge Each has its distinct umusclllrnts, oc-
/
seem always to bc planning how best to get
away from the island Cignr making is the
principal employment of the Cuhnns, and
thero is plenty of work for them, as Key
Wcst contains 1875 cigar factories. 1t is said
on good authority that oo,ooo,OoO cigars arc
shipped away from the Island every year.
The Cuban is not very strong looking His
sports are gambling and rooster fighting
The women are fairly good looking, given TO
wearing high heels, lace shawls and face pow
der. Both men and women smoke and
chatter like magpies. They stand around in
/ crowds and mako Il noise more like n lot of
| geese than human beings Their food is prin-
cipally oil, pork, bananas and coffee. Their
| coffee is good, but made so strong that it will
stain the cup from which it is drunk When
in n restaurant the Cubans appear to talk all
at once. each trying. as it We're, to drown the
others voice and ;,esticulating as if about to
| strike each other on the iace The oe!or of
| the Cuban restaurant is generally too strong
for the ofactory nerves Of one brought up in
| New York. The Couchs are tho fishermen Of
| the island nnfl the gatllcreI, nf s.ln,.gcS They
are n large, rough class Of men and np,ar-
emily very ignorant. Ono marked feature is
! their accent, which is considered the chara,.-
tcristic Of the !.onioner-tl." dropping Of the
aspiats where needed and using it excessively
where not wanted. They use their fist; VIXEN
| fighting, wl lie the Cu,ans are too ready with
the revolver or sti!c.to. The negroes are cn-
| ploycl III Key West. as elsewhere, in menial
labor, aud ni'c US lazy il, The ot!.cr southern
states. Together these three races form n
very mixed and far from harmonious sorct V
ono that is not likely 10 Dr. met with any
where else in the United Statcs.-.Vcw York
Mail and Express.